The present invention is directed toward an ophthalmic device comprising superposed pairs of light polarizing elements, one of such pairs being fixedly retained in a frame member, while the elements of the other such pair are rotatable. The immediately adjacent surfaces of the superposed elements are each coated with a material to provide hydrophobic functionality.
The concept of providing variable light transmission characteristics to an ophthalmic device by employing a pair of light polarizing elements, one of which may be rotated with respect to the other, is not in and of itself novel. For background information on systems of this type reference should be made to U.S. Pat. No. 2,005,246 issued to E. H. Land on June 18, 1935; U.S. Pat. No. 2,251,330 issued to M. N. Fairbank on Aug. 5, 1941; U.S. Pat. No. 2,565,362 issued to V. K. Eloranta on Aug. 21, 1951; and particularly U.S. patent application Ser. No. 608,401 filed in the name of V. K. Eloranta et al. on Aug. 27, 1975. Each of the foregoing generally relate to devices for providing variable light transmission by employing light polarizers and embody a common problem in that water trapped between the rotatable and fixed lenses can produce unwanted random lens effects which are optically unpleasing to a user of the product.